Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro Isn’t Playing Nicely With Some HDTVs

Early reports suggest Sony's upgraded PlayStation console, the PlayStation 4 Pro, is off to a fast start and is even helping to boost regular PS4 sales since launching before the weekend. However, there are also reports by many users that the new consoles don't seem to want to play nice with some 4K HDTV models with little rhyme or reason as to why.

The problem at hand is that in some situations the PS4 Pro displays a blank screen instead of brilliant 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) visuals when connected to certain TV models. What makes the issue especially perplexing is that it is being reported by users with a wide range of TVs, including LG, Philips, Samsung, Sony, and Vizo. The issue isn't consistent, either—there are reports of the PS4 Pro both working and not working with LG's OLED65E6 TV.


Not all users having problems report seeing blank screens. Some say the PS4 Pro fails to recognize that their TV supports 4K in HDR, so the console drops the resolution to 2K in HDR. It's even been reported to happen on TVs that have no problem handling Ultra HD Blu-ray movies in 4K HDR without issue.

A customer support representative on Sony's PlayStation forum in Europe acknowledged the issue and blamed it on "some compatibility limitations of some TV models with 4K and HDR content." The rep advised affected users to access safe mode on their PS4 Pro console and change the HDCP mode from 2.2 to 1.4. That should at least bring up a picture, but it doesn't solve the problem entirely.

"You should now be able to see an image on your TV, although you may not get 4K or HDR for some content or apps while HDCP 1.4 is enabled. Please contact your TV manufacturer for further assistance about this compatibility limitation. Some Sony, Samsung, LG and Phillips models may be affected," the rep said.

He also offered the following troubleshooting steps for users who have TVs supporting HDCP 2.2 but are unable to see a picture:

1. Power off your PS4 Pro again by holding down the power button until you hear a 2nd beep. Once it's powered down, access Safe Mode again as before.
2. Now selection option 2: [Change Resolution]. You'll be prompted to restart the system and select a resolution.
3. Once the system has restarted, select '2160p - YUV420' as the resolution. You should now be able to see an image on your TV.
4. Now turn off your PS4 again, and restart it in Safe Mode one last time.
5. Select option 8: [Set HDCP Mode] and then select option 1: [Automatic].

A user who is having the same problem posted an alternate workaround:

1. Load PS in boot up menu
2. Choose different resolution. Only 720p seems to work here.
3. Once logged in go to settings, system menu.
4. Disable HDCP.
5. Now change the display settings to the desired resolution, now it should be working.
6. Once this is set, go back to system and enable HDCP. It should blink once.
7. Now check the video output information.
   

Unfortunately the above is not a permanent solution, as the user says he has to apply those steps each time he fires up his PS4 Pro. If that's the case, it would seemingly indicate that this is something Sony could address with a firmware fix.